Descending GABAergic pathway links brain sugar-sensing to peripheral nociceptive gating in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Although painful stimuli elicit defensive responses including escape behavior for survival, starved animals often prioritize feeding over escape even in a noxious environment. This behavioral priority is typically mediated by suppression of noxious inputs through descending control in the brain, yet underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here we identify a cluster of GABAergic neurons in Drosophila larval brain, designated as SEZ-localized Descending GABAergic neurons (SDGs), that project descending axons onto the axon terminals of the peripheral nociceptive neurons and prevent presynaptic activity through GABA_B receptors. Remarkably, glucose feeding to starved larvae causes sustained activation of SDGs through glucose-sensing neurons and subse

SUBMITTER: Nakamizo-Dojo M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10579361 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature